The University of Colorado Colorado Springs (UCCS) has enlisted the expertise of two former U.S. attorneys, John Suthers and Jason Dunn, to conduct a comprehensive review of campus policies and procedures in the wake of a double homicide that occurred last month. The university’s decision to seek external guidance comes after Nicholas Jordan, a student at UCCS, was charged with killing his suitemate, Samuel Knopp, and Knopp’s friend, Celie Rain Montgomery, in a dorm room on February 16.
Chancellor Jennifer Sobanet announced in an email to the campus community that an executive summary of the review’s key findings and recommendations will be released. The university’s emergency management team will then collaborate on implementing any suggested changes. The decision to bring in Suthers and Dunn was prompted by the need to thoroughly examine the circumstances surrounding the tragic incident.
Authorities have not yet disclosed the motive behind the shooting. However, it is known that the incident followed a month-long dispute between Jordan and Knopp regarding living conditions in their shared living area. According to Jordan’s arrest affidavit, he had previously threatened to kill Knopp. Another suitemate reported that both Knopp and he had made multiple complaints about Jordan’s cleanliness and his use of marijuana and cigarettes.
The suitemate further revealed that the death threat occurred after Knopp collected some trash and left it outside Jordan’s bedroom. Despite the reported conflicts and the threat, there is no indication in the document that university officials took any action to remove Jordan from the suite. The university has refrained from commenting on whether it responded to the reported problems, citing an ongoing criminal investigation and federal student privacy laws.
Jordan, a junior studying accounting at UCCS, currently faces two counts of first-degree murder. However, his prosecution has been temporarily halted due to concerns about his mental health. A judge recently ordered a mental competency evaluation for Jordan at the request of his lawyer.
The University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, which has approximately 11,000 students, was established in 1965 as a division of the University of Colorado in Boulder. It gained independent college status in 1974.
